


i hope i'm at least half the dad he didn't have to be

by xavierurban



Series: bless the broken road [12]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Batfamily (DCU), Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Nightmares, batfam, tagging those now just so people know what to expect, they won't be relevant for a few more chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-10 04:00:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21468619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xavierurban/pseuds/xavierurban
Summary: 6 times Bruce Wayne comforted one of his kids, and 1 time someone comforted him.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain & Bruce Wayne, Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Duke Thomas & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Duke Thomas & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Talia al Ghul & Jason Todd, Talia al Ghul/Bruce Wayne (past), Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne
Series: bless the broken road [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1328723
Comments: 20
Kudos: 237





	i hope i'm at least half the dad he didn't have to be

**Author's Note:**

> this was... not supposed to be the next part in this series, but i'm super hung up on the next fic, and i've had the first chapter of this written for months. i can't promise this will all go up before the next part of the story is done, but i wanted to put something up in the meantime.
> 
> these chapters will all be in chronological order (with the exception of the +1), and not just oldest-youngest or anything like that. i'm hoping to be several more fics into the series before we get to chapter six (jason's chapter), and may end up reordering this in the overall series once those go up, so don't be too surprised if the fic number changes at some point.
> 
> this first part isn't super long, but hopefully it'll appease everyone a little until i get more done towards the main story!
> 
> chapter warnings: nightmares, death, and murder
> 
> title from he didn't have to be by brad paisley

Bruce has no idea what he’s doing when Dick starts screaming in the middle of the night two days after arriving at the Manor, but he rushes to the young boy’s room anyway, flinging the door open and rushing in like he’s got hellhounds on his tail. His confusion and relief at finding the room empty of intruders is short-lived when he registers the hitching breaths and rapid rise and fall of Dick’s shoulders from where he’s sitting up in bed, his knees drawn up to his chest.  
  
He flicks on the lights, and approaches the bed slowly, even as something inside of him roars at him to snatch the boy up in his arms and take him away from the nonexistent threat.  
  
“Dick?” He says softly, his hand hovering awkwardly between them where he’d started to reach out. He isn’t sure his touch will be welcomed; they’re still just starting to get to know one another. Why did Bruce think this was something he could do? He has no idea how to handle a child, especially a distressed one.  
  
The boy lets out a rough sob, and Bruce does his best to collect himself.  
  
“I’m going to sit down on the bed, is that alright?” He says, and waits a moment until Dick gives the smallest of nods before doing just that. He leaves a bit of space between them, and then asks, “Did you have a nightmare?”   
  
After a long moment, Dick gives another small nod, but keeps his face pressed against his knees.  
  
“How can I help?” Bruce asks after a few minutes have passed and Dick’s crying hasn’t really started to slow down. The boy lists towards him slightly, but doesn’t say anything, and Bruce frowns. “Would you like me to hold you?” He doesn’t want to assume, but he also doesn’t want to deny the boy a comfort he might not be sure how to ask for.  
  
Instead of responding verbally, Dick launches himself at Bruce, who just barely manages to keep them both from tumbling to the floor despite his shock. He readjusts himself, moving to settle back against the headboard, and draws Dick more comfortably into his lap.  
  
“Shh,” he soothes, “It’s alright. It was just a dream.”  
  
The boy lets out another sob, and shakes his head.  
  
“They’re dead,” he weeps, and Bruce’s heart breaks, “They’re dead, and- and in the dream, I  _ pushed  _ them. It’s my fault. It’s my fault, I didn’t catch them.” Dick’s words get more and more hysterical as he speaks, and Bruce just holds him tighter.  
  
“No,” he promises, “No, Dick, it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have caught them.”  
  
God, does Dick really blame himself? The thought steals the air from Bruce’s lungs, and he makes a choked noise that makes Dick press even closer to him.  
  
“Dick,” he says, when he catches his breath, “They were too far away when the rope snapped. There was nothing you could do, and it  _ wasn’t your fault. _ ”  
  
Dick makes a noise of protest, but doesn’t argue, and Bruce rubs his back and starts to hum an old lullaby that he remembers his mother singing to him when he was a boy. Dick is probably too old for such things, but he doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he slowly starts to relax, and Bruce feels relief washing over him when the boy’s breathing evens out. He waits a while longer, until he’s sure Dick is truly asleep, and then carefully lifts him and settles him back onto his mattress, tucking him back in before slipping out of the room and closing the door softly behind himself.


End file.
